The Ministry of Public Security has established the Drone Safety and Control Bureau. This news was first publicly disclosed in a report published by Ping'an Zhejiang Net on September 11, 2026, which introduced the establishment of Yuhuan County's Low-Altitude Security Brigade in Zhejiang Province—the first county-level unit of its kind nationwide. The report stated that the Ministry of Public Security has formed the Drone Safety and Control Bureau, while the Zhejiang Provincial Public Security Department is preparing to establish a provincial-level Drone Safety and Control Corps.
I. Official Name and Announcement Time
The official name is "Drone Safety and Control Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security." Previous reports referred to it briefly as the "Control Bureau."
As of October 22, officials from this bureau had already attended the Public Security Special Session of the 2026 Low-Altitude Economy Industry Development Conference hosted by the Sichuan Provincial Public Security Department in Zigong. This indicates that the new agency has begun engaging in actual operations.
II. Background of Establishment
The low-altitude economy is upgrading from a "new growth point" to an "emerging pillar industry" of the national economy. The National Development and Reform Commission (Low-Altitude Development Division), the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) (Low-Altitude Safety Division), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) (Equipment Division II, Drone Section), and the Ministry of Public Security (Drone Safety and Control Division) have successively set up specialized management agencies for the low-altitude economy. This has formed a dual-track governance structure focusing on both "development" and "safety," characterized by "two divisions, one bureau, and one section."
Issues regarding illegal drone flights (often referred to as "black flying") still occur occasionally, such as ultra-high altitude flights, intrusions into civil aviation routes, and unauthorized bypassing of no-fly zone protocols. Starting in December 2025, the Ministry of Public Security launched a six-month nationwide "Clear Sky" special operation.
On July 24, 2026, the Ministry of Public Security clarified three key measures—"cracking down on illegality, standardizing law enforcement, and serving development"—at a press conference hosted by the State Council Information Office. It also stipulated that compliant drone flight operations must follow the "One Registration, Two Checks, Three Applications" protocol.
On August 26, 2026, the Ministry of Public Security issued the Discretionary Standards for Administrative Penalties by Public Security Organs on Illegal Acts Involving Unmanned Aircraft (Gong Tong Zi [2026] No. 17), unifying the penalty standards for five categories of drone-related violations.
III. Key Significance
Low-altitude safety management now has a dedicated public security authority, with responsibilities covering public order control, industry supervision, emergency response, and violation investigation. This establishes a clear division of labor with civil aviation authorities.
It promotes a shift in management from special campaigns to normalized institutional governance. Local implementations are already underway: Zhejiang is preparing a provincial-level corps, Yuhuan County has established a county-level brigade, and Yinchuan City has set up a Drone Public Order Control and Police Aviation Management Office under its Public Order Detachment.
This reflects the philosophy that "only when controlled can drones fly steadily and sustainably," meaning that the low-altitude economy can be served effectively only if safety baselines are strictly maintained.